A Sliver of Change
by Subrosa Reaching
Summary: During the Chunin Exams, Naruto is saved by the most interesting creature. With the power of the "Slivers" beside him, who can stop him? A new take on the popular MtGxNaruto xover.
1. Chapter 1

A Sliver of Hope

Summary: During the Chunin Exams, Naruto is saved by the most interesting creature. With the power of the "Slivers" beside him, who can stop him? A new take on the popular MtGxNaruto xover.

Naruto stared up at the night sky, mainly because it was the only thing he could do while incapacitated like he was. Sakura was the only one of the three that wasn't K/Oed and she was trying her best to defend them. Of course, Naruto wasn't actually seeing; it was a dreamstate for his body to cope with the pain of recovery. He felt something slither on his wrist, and his body convulsed with fear.

Whatever that was, it was probably dangerous. It crawled into his sleeve and up his arm, little pincers pulling the small foe closer to his neck. It went past his neck and to his ear without stopping. Naruto tensed. It stopped at his ear (probably thinking about something) before he heard a voice in his ear. "You're dying." It stated, simplistically and bluntly. "You need something to save you." It inched closer to his ear. "I could save you." It whispered. "I could make you into a nest for us. You live with us, and we will live with you." It hissed into his ear.

Naruto tried to toss it off with a shake of his head but his muscles refused to move. _It's telling the truth... I'm dying... _He tried to answer with a yes but his body wouldnt respond.

"I can save you. I'll make you a hive. You will hold us within you and they will help you. You will need at least one of us with you at all times, but we will be burdenous. We can share our abilities, but we can only give two abilities at a time." The sliver said hurriedly. "I must start to work soon. It will hurt. I'm but one of us." It slithered to his mouth and paused. "This will hurt." It repeated. Then, it pushed its way into his mouth and began tunnelling through Naruto's body starting at the esophagus, creating a third tunnel. The front pincers worked to rip apart the flesh and the back ones quickly knitted the flesh into a weblike pattern to stop bleeding and to rearrange the veins and arteries... all of this while secreeting a toxin that spread an advanced genetic mutator between the cells.

Naruto couldnt decide if this experience was the worst feeling in the world or the most beautiful transformation he has ever gone through. Naruto decided it was the first of the two. The thing was making tunnels throughout his entire body for Pete's sake! Naruto was seeing stars twinkle on the blackness of his eyelids. The sliver had made its way to the palm of his hand and was pinching through the epidermis. Naruto no longer felt the pain; he was in a state of rebirth, and he loved it. He was floating on cloud nine. He was being reborn as something greater than human, for something less than human. He was... evolving. The thing was making his body into a network of tunnels! These tunnels would be able to hold more of them. These things will give him cool powers! These things will make him stronger, but slower, the more he has. It WAS beautiful. It seemed to be almost done. It was tunneling along his spinal cord, and judging by the his movement, he was fixing the spinal support to bear the weight of the slivers.

It was at his brain now, and it paused. It wanted to dig into his brain. He could feel it. Instead, the thing made two sideways crevices behind the brain, and then, in a spiraling twist, submerged itself into Naruto's brain. Its secretion was altering his brain cells to cope with the new tunnels in his body. Naruto snapped up and began screaming a screech that was a sound to attract other of its kind. (Somehow he knew it would, and it seemingly was unhearable by humans.) They came by the masses, dozens of them flocking to him. "I will give you homes," Naruto said, "In exchange for your cooperation. I have become a home for you; another one of you had done this. I wont make you, but If you wish, I will accept you into my body. I have become a home for you." Naruto had the sudden knowledge that slivers enjoy repitition of phrases. A lot of them left, but 4 others crawled up onto him and to his neck.

"You have become a home for us?" one said with wings sprouting from it's back. "I heard you can use us. We can help you; I have wings, and they will become yours."

"You have become a home for us?" one said, bulging muscles covering its exterior. "I heard we can help you. You can us us; I have strength, and they will become yours."

"You have become a home for us?" one said, smooth skin on its exterior. "I heard you can use us. We can help you; I consume others to create new of us, and they will become yours."

"You have become a home for us?" one said, spiderlike qualities playing it's skin. "I heard we can help you. You can use us; I spin webs, and they will become yours."

Naruto frowned, the klacking of their pincers discerned him. He scooped up the slivers and showed them the holes in his palms for their entry. "I will not hurt you. Come in. I will not hurt you."

They obliged, entering the tunnels and familiarizing themselves with the pathways, but the Winged one was the first to find the crevices behind his brain. It cuddled close to his brain and latched on, secreting a fluid that quickly filled the crevice, leaving no entry. Then, he could feel his body change...

Chapter End


	2. The Pain of Evolution

Chapter Two: The Pain of Evolution

Naruto roared with pain as his body began mutating, and sickening snaps erupted from within him as the bones began developing in his back, extending from his shoulder blades and rib cage. The wings ripped through his skin, with the membrane already developed between the fingers of his wing, and Naruto gasped as the skin renitted itself around the bases of the wing with the regeneration. Naruto shuddered with excitement. _'Is this what it feels like to be an animal?_' Naruto thought with a tone of both disgusted horror and a sickening fascination. _'I like it_.' he ruffled his new wings, experimenting with the muscles that just developed. The joints of the wings popped with inuse, but the two (with it's collective wingspan of 18 feet) were able to lift him off the ground and float there for a few seconds before he gently floated back to the ground.

Just then, he heard Sakura cry outside. He leaped from his place under the tree in time to see Sakura rip a kunai through her hair, and leap away from a different girl with long black hair and a headband bearing an eighth note upon it's metal surface.

"Kin! kill her!" A guy with heartless eyes and metal covering his face yelled at the girl who still held the pink hair with a surprised look. Kin threw herself at Sakura, and Naruto's blue eyes widened with fear.

"Sakura!" Sakura was replaced with a log just upon impact, and Naruto charged at this Kin girl before she had time to recover from her impact. "Leave Sakura-chan alone!" Naruto yelled, slamming into the girl. She spun to the ground, shell-shocked. Naruto leaped upon her, fist drawn back, and he began beating against her chest.

"KIN!" The metalhead yelled, but his attention was on Sakura. "Dammit! Dosu, help her!" he yelled, launching another sound wave attack at Sakura.

Sakura did the Replacement jutsu once again, appearing above Zaku this time, and she threw more kunai in his direction. He blasted these weapons back at her, but instead of using the Replacement again, she took the kunai. Sakura winced but pulled one out and landed upon Zaku, stabbing him in the right forearm and biting upon the left. She pulled the kunai back again, and stabbed the guy several times in his chest.

Dosu was descending upon Naruto with his Sound cannon drawn back, humming with the strongest attack yet, but just as Dosu swung, Naruto kicked himself off of Kin and let his wings spread in the air. The fist connected with Kin with enough force to easily kill her, but the sound was directed at Naruto, and his right wing folded with the impact. Naruto spun to the ground with no balance in his wings and body, and he crash landed into the ground. ""I will KILL YOU!" Dosu leaped above him, and was descending down upon Naruto, and Naruto was powerless before the ninja. Then, Naruto felt himself being flung out of the way with movements that his body did, but weren't his own.

Naruto saw his shadow extending to another ninja, which this one, he was actually GLAD to see. "Shikamaru! Ino! Choji!" Naruto grinned as Shikamaru did, and he let his resistance go. Ino ran and pulled Sakura off of Zaku, who is now long dead. Choji glared at the lone Dosu.

Dosu looked at the five around him, and with a nod he raised both hands into the air. "I surrender," he said, shaking his head. "I'd be a fool to take on all five of you." _'I have to kill Sasuke as I make my escape, or Orochimaru-sama is sure to kill me too..._'

"Did you have to kill my teammates though?" Dosu frowned. "Oh well. They were both weak anyways... Will you be so kind as to let me leave?" He asked, shuffling. "I have no reason to fight you guys. Kin and Zaku are dead. I need all three teammates to get to the next exam." Dosu said.

Naruto and Shikamaru looked around at the others. "Should we, guys?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto and he both shrugged. "He is right, we have no reason to kill him. All we require is your scroll."

Sakura pulled the kunai from her forearm and nodded. "Let him go." Sakura said.

Dosu began walking towards the massive tree, hands still above him. His pace quickened, and he charged at the area which Sasuke was resting. "I WILL COMPLETE MY MISSION!" It was too late for anyone to stop him.

Dosu launched himself into the air and attepted to pounce Sasuke, but in the nick of time Sasuke's sharingan donned eyes opened, and he caught Dosu mid-punch. The curse seal has eveloped his body to the point of no return. He stood up, glaring at Dosu all the while gripping the metal incased fist. "No sound coming from your gauntlet..." Sasuke said, grinning. "You're out of chakra. And I'm strong..." His head cocked to the side. "What's to stop me from..." he squeezed the gauntlet, and it collapsed around Dosu's hand, crushing it. "...Killing you?" Sasuke drew back a black hand. "I understand now... That man wasn't trying to kill me... He was going to make me stronger so I can avenge my clan..." Sasuke smirked. "And my revenge starts with you."

"Sasuke-kun! Don't!" Sakura yelled.

Sasuke swung the fist at the screaming Dosu, but Naruto was able to recover in enough time to stop the fist.

"Sasuke, That's enough." Naruto said, stopping his attack. Naruto's muscles were rippling with newfound power as the Might sliver found its way to evolve his body while Sasuke was awakening. "You just destroyed his arm. That is enough revenge for what he did. Leave him alone." Naruto said. "Besides, you need to save this power for the exams." Naruto said, smirking. "I want to fight you with MY new powers."

Sasuke smirked back, and then sighed as the seal slinked back within his body. "Let's take the scroll." And with that, Dosu collapsed.

End Chapter


	3. Hell Mary in the Forest of Death!

Chapter Three: Hell Mary in the Forest of Death

After the three teams seperate, Team seven finds itself having to cross a large amount of the forest in 24 hours with only one scroll to do that with. If they want to pass, they must retrieve another. As the three set up camp, Sasuke and Sakura both have generally been avoiding Naruto.

Who wouldn't be avoiding someone with leatherlike wings sprouting from his or her back? In fact, the two haven't even really talked to each other. Sakura killed someone brutally, Sasuke had a seal that gave him almost infinite power, and Naruto had freaking Batwings. The team wasn't doing so well.

Naruto was busy practicing drilling the Slivers to traverse the tunnels within his body while Sakura and Sasuke were making food. He was quick to notice that his wings were nearly impossible to pick him up off of the ground when the Winged Sliver wasn't in the cavern. The winged sliver was needed to fly, but Naruto was able to glide for a few seconds without assistance from the sliver. The Spinneret sliver (Naruto calls it Spider) also had interesting powers. Much to Naruto's dismay, he didn't get 4 more arms or anything like that, but what he did get was the ability to shoot webs from spinerets that form around the holes in his hand. This web was nearly impossible to break except by releasing the tension on it and pulling, quite similar to that of a Chinese finger trap.

And the coolest part? With Might and Spider in this head at the same time, he was able to pull over a fairly thick tree! He felt quite accomplished. He was practicing with that ability when Naruto was approached by Sasuke.

He was looking upset, torn by something internally. "So, uhhhhhh..." His eyes darted to Naruto's wings. "Are those real?" Sasuke looked back into Naruto's eyes. "Does this mean the rumors are true? That you're...

"A demon?"

Naruto froze, eyes suddenly flashing with forgotten memories. Things he'd rather not remember.

And Sasuke saw it in his blue eyes. He was immediately remorseful.

"Sasuke... Never, ever say that again." Naruto said, shaking with choked back tears. "I will never be a demon... I may have a demon inside me... but I am NOT a demon..."

Sasuke frowned. "You have a demon inside you?" He looked completely confused.

_That's right... Sasuke and Sakura never saw me taken by the red chakra on the bridge... _Naruto sighed. _I don't want to have to explain this to him yet... _"I'll explain to you and Sakura later... We need to get another scroll." Naruto said. "I shouldn't have been training either." He felt Spider leave the cavern and worm its way back down to the holding area and felt Winged crawl its way into the cavern. The strength of Might and Bird (as he nicknamed the Winged one) together flooded all of his appendages and he gasped, and shuddered. "I have a feeling we are being watched... We need to leave."

"Being... Watched?" Sasuke tensed with paranoiac excitement. "An enemy?"

"You know, if you charge through the forest like an elephant, you're sure to be found." a voice said, from above. "Naruto, the sound of you pulling down trees is sure to bring even more massive predators. Not to mention other ninjas."

Sasuke and Naruto looked up to the trees, and spotted a glasses wearing figure. "Kabuto!" Naruto grinned, but Sasuke frowned.

"Hold up, Naruto. He might be after our scroll." Sasuke warned, holding a hand up to stop Naruto.

"Oh, right." Naruto said, nodding.

"Hey, Naruto, where'd you get the wings?" Kabuto said, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "It can't be from the Kyuubi... Is it from a bloodline?" Kabuto tilted his head in confusion. "Ah, no matter. You guys can trust me not to take your scroll; my team already has both scrolls." Kabuto landed before Naruto, smiling. "I just wanted to help a fellow Konoha team out."

Naruto frowned. "If you want to help us out so much, give us your heaven scroll."

Kabuto snorted. "Not happening, kid. You have to earn one yourself. I'm just helping you guys get it."

"Fine then," Sasuke smirked, "I'll fight you for yours. One on one, right now." Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto, putting a hand up in a fighting stance.

Kabuto laughed. "I try to help you guys, and you two want to fight me. Another tip. You want to take someone's scroll? You don't challenge, you surprise."

"Sasuke, look out!" Naruto yelled, pulling Sasuke to the side. Two kunai were imbedded rung deep into the tree that were behind them just moments after Naruto pulled him to the side. It would've been an instant kill with that much force.

Then, Sakura screamed in the distance.

"Sakura!" Sasuke and Naruto yelled in unison. They looked at eachother, nodded, and took off with Kabuto on their heels.

Sakura had her back against the face of a cliff, cornered by one of the largest tigers Naruto had ever seen.

And boy, did it look hungry.

Kabuto shook his head. "You guys are screwed. That beast take a jonin to take down one. Four genin? Only if you want to die." He said. "I'm not helping. Good luck!" He stepped backwards into the forest, and Naruto ran to action, wings lifting him off of the ground with a little shockwave of dust.

Sakura gasped as the closest one to her threw it's head back and roared. "Sasuke!"

After Naruto had flown a few hundred feet into the air, he hovered there for a second while he did a handsign. "Naruto style:" He said, grinning, "Raining Naruto Jutsu!" He performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Dozens of him appeared around him (Without wings, to his dismay), and fell to the ground like raining bullets upon the beasts. "CANNONBALL!" All of them yelled, laughing. With Naruto's weight falling that distance it was enough to shatter all the bones in the body, but with the shadow clones vernerability to pain, they disappeared upon impact. And the impacts with the beast were particularly painful to it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't scared away. Sasuke was down there, trying to shoo the cat away with fireballs, but the best those did was singe its fur. Naruto changed tactics, gliding to the ground as Bird swapped places with Spider, and Naruto used Mights strength to force the wings to hold his weight without Bird to navigate them. Then, he spun the web between his fingers, knitting the web to be as strong as possible as he landed on the cliff top. He jumped the thirty feet onto the back of the largest one and threw the web around it's neck, catching the web with his other hand.

Naruto pulled back, knitting his brow as sweat poured from it, and he pulled the beast's head and neck far enough from Sakura for Sasuke to get her. "Sasuke! Get her!" Naruto yelled, pulling harder.

Sasuke nodded, running past and grabbing Sakura, and Naruto wrenched the cat to the side, using the spider web as a giant reign. Naruto laughed. "Hey guys, guess what? I tamed the thing!" He slackened the reign to prove it, and the beast tried to run forward. Naruto pulled back again, but the web tore like tissue.

"Oops." Naruto said, sweatdropping. "Run guys! RUN FOR THE HILLS!" Naruto began spinning another web strand with one hand as he held onto the beast's fur with the other as it chased after Sasuke and Sakura. After spinning a fair amount and weighing the edges with large amounts of web, he made his way to the beast's head. Naruto breathed deeply, and let go of the beasts fur for a second to perform the shadow clone jutsu. He made two clones, set an end in each one's hand and told them brief instructions. "Okay, you two, get ready, and JUMP!" The two leaped before the beast and used the web as a trip wire, and then hastily hog-tied the beast. Then, with an exausted sigh, Naruto sank into the fur of the beast.

Chapter End

Please Review, kind Readers! I love you all! (no homo, you men out there)


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